


Prairie Wolf

by Aspidities



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alpha Nicole, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, F/F, Kinda sorta The Lost Boys AU, Knotting, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Waverly, Slow Burn, Werewolves, but with werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-06-13 07:37:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15359499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspidities/pseuds/Aspidities
Summary: When the Earp Pack, small as it is, returns to their home territory of Purgatory, the town is not as they left it. The new alpha Sheriff isn’t what she used to be, either, but when Waverly Earp blows into her life like a tumbleweed, she just may be the key to bringing everything back in order.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back! Summer vacations followed by summer cold, but hey now your girl is back in the saddle and ready to deliver some lonesome Wild West Wolf action. This is my take on a Lost Boys style scenario, with a town overrrun by werewolves...except in this version, the newcomers are also, themselves werewolves.
> 
> Bear in mind, this one’s gonna be a bit of a slow burn. Settle in, cowpokes.

The car was stiflingly hot by the time they’d rolled past Santa Carla and into Purgatory’s outer limits, but the GPS said they were still fifty sun-baked miles to the town itself. The Volvo’s AC had shit the bed sometime around noon in the last day, and the early June sun beat down mercilessly hard on its blue-backed roof. Aunt Gus announced her intention, for the fifth time that day, of finding a ‘damn good mechanic’ in this ‘hellscape of a town’, but neither of her two nieces were listening. Wynonna had her headphones on and was dozing with her hat pulled over her face like a cowpoke taking a siesta, seemingly immune to the sun, but her younger sister wasn’t faring as well, per usual.    
  
Waverly groaned and flounced back on her seat, trying unsuccessfully to unstick her thighs from the vinyl for the dozenth or so time. “Are we getting closer?” She asked, peevishly. She knew as well as Gus that the town was still a half hour or so away, but the ask still whined out from between her teeth. The heat was getting to her, she decided.    
  
It was getting to all of them. “Hell, Waverly, you know it ain’t any closer,” Gus snapped back. “If it was, I’d expect it all to look much the same anyway.” She snorted out the window, looking at the dried, flat fields of dead prairie grass that stretched around them, like close-cropped, golden hair on a dog’s back. “Seems there ain’t a pretty view from here to Cornfuck, Nowhere, so just sit down and hold tight.”   
  
Waverly made an upset noise in her throat but was ignored, and she was used to that. As the youngest wolf in their mixed-up-little ‘family’ and the only omega, she was often put in the backseat and left to ask where they were going, but that was normal. Prairie wolves wandered, as Gus always told her, and they were prairie wolves, sure as thunder.    
  
Waverly could still recall the first morning she’d awoken with bare tuffets of muddy grass between her toes, heart pounding, belly cramping and blood in her panties. There’d been the remains of her favorite rabbit, Poppins, at the foot of the bed, and, soon after, the rest was vomited out onto her threadbare comforter. She’d wailed hysterically for Wynonna, but it had been Gus who’d calmly stroked her back and packed away the soiled linen. Gus had given her the no-nonsense talk of wolf life: how the change would come every month until she learned to control it, and even then, she should be mindful of her actions on a full moon night. Wynonna had come later, and taught her to whoop and howl, and how to run her paws ragged chasing deer…until she woke up covered in ticks one morning and decided enough was enough. Neither had been very good at explaining the heats, or the way alpha scent sizzled her skin when she grew close to one, but they were both rather gruff around the subject of sexuality with the omega wolf. Waverly suspected it was because neither trusted her not to go off and mate the first wild alpha she met, and she resented it, but what could she do? Pack was pack.    
  
Gus had led them on somewhat of a nomadic life, ever since Waverly could remember, but now they were returning to the place they had once called home, meager as it was. There was a tremor of excitement thrumming along the tiny hairs on her arms and neck, singing in her bones. Home. Everyone wanted to go home again, that was something old as dirt and time itself. Home meant pack and family, and familiar territory you didn’t have to fight over, to stake out. Waverly was a young wolf, sure, but even she knew the value of a home, despite not remembering her own.    
  
As if on cue, a ‘Welcome to Purgatory’ sign flashed by on the right, pockmarked with rust and bullet holes. A sheriff’s car sat behind it, dusty from the road. Waverly just happened to glance at the speedometer and registered it at a clear twenty miles above the limit when the cruiser lit up and pulled out behind them, backend fish-tailing in the dirt of the shoulder. Gus cursed, slowing, but it was too late and she knew it; her lead foot had cost them many a speeding ticket in parts beyond.    
  
Just as she began to pull over, however, a thunderous bang shook the old steel frame of the Volvo and a hideous wheeze came from under the hood as Wynonna in the passenger seat awoke with a muffled cry of  ‘What the fu-‘ and bumped her head on the roof, as the car shuddered and lurched up and down. The front right end dipped dramatically, and Gus swore, spinning the wheel in a haze of dust as she swirled them to a hasty stop on the side of the road. The cruiser pulled in behind them, and the various members of the Earp family stumbled from the Volvo, coughing and cursing as they waved dust from their burning eyes.    
  
“Damn cheap rubber suckass!” Gus gave a frustrated cry, crouching to look at the torn-up wheel well and ruined strips of rubber that were all that remained from their former front right tire.    
  
Wynonna shook dust from her hair with easy, leonine grace and snorted, stretching to her full height as she rolled her shoulders. As usual, Waverly had a pang of jealousy as she observed her older sister’s fluid movement as she stalked over to inspect the tire. Wynonna was the pride of the family; a sure shot with her pistol, a strong and fierce fighter in her wolf form, and, what was best, a natural-born leader. An alpha with fire in her blood. Waverly was often left wondering what use they had for an omega in the family, but despite her nature, Wynonna and Gus both refused to let her feel left out or lesser. It was only in the dark whispering corners of the young wolf’s mind that she felt the sadness, the misplaced longing to be something more, something stronger.    
  
“I’d say you’d be well on your way to having all four blow out, if you’d gone much father.” A new voice observed, and the stranger stepped into the dissolving dust, removing a well-worn Stetson. Red hair, tinted with road dust, and sparked with flyaway bits of prairie grass, barely constrained by a ponytail. A tall, lean frame that spoke of wires and willow branches. Waverly sucked in a breath, and felt a different kind of heat wash over her.  _ Holy shit, that’s a hot cop.  _ __  
  
_ And a wolf, too. _ Waverly’s interest was piqued even further as the prickle of hair on the back of her neck told her that the stranger veering into view was one of her kind. Judging by the size of her, she must be a timber or even an arctic: she towered over all of them, even Wynonna.    
  
The sheriff was clearly also an alpha, but, strangely her scent was shooting rays of sunshine up and down Waverly’s spine, unlike the rank musk she usually associated with strange alphas. Wynonna and Gus reacted differently, of course; a strange wolf was never welcomed by a dominant ranking wolf, and both had their upper lips in a curl for a moment, glaring at the intrusion into what was clearly a  _ pack _ problem. It was only a split second of instinct, and quickly their logical brains returned. Each woman shook herself, returning to a deferential stance in recognition of the Law that was beyond the Law of Pack, and a round of eye flashing indicated their quick acknowledgment of the fellow wolf.    
  
The sheriff’s eyes barely flickered over their slight shift into almost-submission; this was clearly an alpha used to dealing with snarling from her fellows. Her hands rested lightly on her hips, fingers grazing the barrel of her gun, but not with intent; more of as a display. ‘ _ Don’t give me no reason _ ’, said the set of her jaw, and the line of it was sharp, but her eyes said ‘ __ I can fix it, whatever it is ’ and they were kinder, somehow. Those eyes dropped on Waverly for just a moment, and the omega shuddered, briefly, before she was able to control herself again.    
  
The sheriff bent, inspecting the near-balding strips of leather that Wynonna had traded for a case of beer, back in Poughkeepsie. As she did, the khakis shifted over her ass, pulling tight, and Waverly had to look away with a blush as the officer straightened. She cast a quick glance at the omega, as if she’d guessed what Waverly was thinking, and there was a brief flash of appreciation in the alpha’s face. Those eyes roamed from Waverly’s colored cheeks down her body and then back, taking a lingering glance at her frame with an alpha’s eye. Then, quickly, professionalism slammed back down over her eyes in a wall; she’d clearly remembered her purpose here. 

It wasn’t quickly enough, however; Wynonna had noticed and her eyes darkened, glaring at the cop with more than just her usual animosity for authority.  _ Oh shit, _ thought Waverly, and internally cursed her sister’s protectiveness.  _ Wynonna don’t be stupid, she’s a cop.  _

  
“You got maybe two miles a piece left on those sorry things before you’d be sitting on all four flats.” The new alpha informed them, sternly but not unkindly. “And on these country roads, pulling speeds like that is guaranteed for a blow-out even on brand-new all-weathers, which, sorry ma’am, these are not.”   
  
Gus sighed and bent to examine the rusted wheel well, which was oozing fluid from somewhere under the frame, as smoke began to billow in a thin stream from the hood. “Damn cheapo tires.” She cursed, and then leveled her gaze back up at the sheriff. “So, I’d assume this means a hefty fine.”   
  
“I should write you a ticket,” the Sheriff admitted with a sigh, “but we don’t get too many speeders out here and it’s not like anyone else was on the road. You’ve cost yourself more harm anyway.” She tipped her hat at Wynonna and Waverly. “Looks like you folks are new in town anyway, and it’s never a good idea to give new neighbors a ticket on their first day.”   
  
Gus was clearly struck by the Sheriff’s simple kindness, as was Waverly. They’d been new in many towns, many times before and hadn’t had such a grace period from the police; thanks to Wynonna, mostly, whose legend often rode into town before she did. Nor did they usually encounter friendly strange wolves. Her aunt was clearly taken aback, and she nodded sharply, which was as close to a tear being shed as the older beta got. “Thank you, I appreciate that. Officer…?”   
  
“Haught.” The alpha supplied, hands briskly knocking road grime from her khakis.  _ Of course it is _ , Waverly internally groaned, and bit her lip to keep the noise from escaping. Wynonna looked at her strangely, but said nothing, which was a blessed relief. “Officer Haught. And I’d be glad to give you folks a ride back in the cruiser, if some of you don’t mind the back. I know it’s not ideal but...”   
  
“Oh I’ve been in the backseat of a cop car more times than-“ Wynonna began, but was cut off as Waverly elbowed her in the ribs. “Ow!  _ Fuck _ , Waverly!”   
  
Officer Haught looked like she found that mildly funny, and her brow arched, which was better than hauling Wynonna off preemptively, so Waverly was inclined to let it pass. She opened her arm, indicating the car, and the little Earp family trucked after her, Wynonna leading as usual, Waverly bringing up the rear. At the car, there was brief and calculated shuffling as they rearranged in order of who usually sat where when it came to backseats; Wynonna and Gus always each got a window, and Waverly, being the baby, always had to sit in the middle. However, this time, Wynonna shoved her briefly out of rotation and indicated the passenger side door of the cruiser.    
  
“Waverly should ride up front,” Wynonna announced, practically purring. “She’s the youngest, and she’s probably sick of being in the middle. Right, Waves?”   
  
_ By the Moon, I swear, I’m going to kill you Wynonna. _ Waverly grit her teeth. “Sure, that would be nice. But if Officer…um…Haught wants us to sit in the back, then-“   
  
“It’s fine,” the redhead interrupted, smoothly. “Hop in.”   
  
As the cruiser started up, Waverly did her best to avoid watching the sure, confident way that the alpha next to her handled the manual transmission, shifting hard as the Vic pushed to regain the road. The clean, well-manicured nails of the hand on the driveshaft was doing things to the young omega’s brain that she didn’t quite understand. Officer Haught caught her eyes for an instant as she scanned for traffic, and the redhead’s slow, crooked smile was like honey oozing over cornbread. She felt almost like hitching up her thin, faded floral dress and exposing herself, begging  _ come take me, _ even with Gus and Wynonna right there in the backseat, and she admonished herself, as a blush spread over her cheekbones and into her neck. An alpha’s scent and demeanor had never affected her like this before.    
  
“So, Officer,” she swallowed around the name, “Haught. Are there other wolves in town or just you?” At the redhead’s curious look, she hastened to explain. “I’m sorry if I’m rude, I just—“   
  
“We don’t meet many others of our kind.” Wynonna supplied. “Prairie wolves roam.”    
  
“You’re not rude, don’t worry.” The Sheriff’s smile was almost amused. “And well, yes. There’s plenty others. Purgatory’s a wolf den. Figured you folks would know…”   
  
“I did.” Gus explained, in her usual manner, which is to say: explaining nothing. “These two are too young to remember the town, but these are old pissing grounds for me.”    
  
“I’m not too young!” Wynonna protested, and Waverly also made noises in her throat, but both Gus and the Sheriff ignored them.    
  
“Happy to have you back, ma’am.” The redhead tipped her hat, respectfully, in the rear view.    
  
“Any chance you know old Sheriff Nedley?” Gus asked, leaning toward the metal grate in the back as the officer tilted her ear to listen. “He was a good friend of the family for a few years. Sure wouldn’t mind seeing him around town.”    
  
The redhead’s smile dropped and she took in a slow breath, hands flexing on the steering wheel as she stared straight ahead. “Sorry to say, ma’am, but….Sheriff Nedley died about a year ago. It was…sudden.”    
  
Gus’s face fell, and she looked genuinely grief-stricken for a moment, which was unusual for her. “That’s… that’s a damn shame.”   
  
“It is.” The young alpha’s eyes were still on the road, but her mouth twitched, as if she wanted to say something more.    
  
Wynonna piped up. “How about old Shorty who ran the bar down on Main? My daddy always said that man could sling a whiskey like no one else.”   
  
A grimace was steadily making it’s way over Officer Haught’s face, and she shook her head. “Bar’s still there, all right, but…” she shot a quick look at Waverly, brow furrowed. “….It’s not the same kind of place anymore, let’s just say that. I’d steer clear of it, if I were you folks.”   
  
Wynonna snorted. “Steer clear of the only bar in town? What, do alphas ‘round here just take up knitting?”   
  
Officer Haught threw her head back and laughed, and the sound was bright in the car, so bright Waverly almost beamed and laughed right along with her. She had to wipe the stupid smile off her face when the redhead turned her neck slightly to address Wynonna over her shoulder.    
  
“No, begging your pardon, they definitely don’t. Purgatory has changed quite a bit, especially in recent years.” Again, the quick, concerned look at Waverly.    
  
“What do you mean by that?” Gus leaned forward again, intent. “No dancing around the bush, now, Officer. I may be an old longtooth, but don’t speak nonsense to me just ‘cause you think it’s polite.”    
  
The alpha gave a respectful nod, and drew in a stabilizing breath. “Well. It’s not a pretty story, m’am. Purgatory has always been a rough town, everyone knows that, but it was manageable before. There used to be a human in town; name of Doc Holiday...something about that man kept unruly wolves in line. He kept order for a while, and Nedley and his pack, myself included, we ...helped. We did our best. But then…” She shrugged. “Doc up and left, don’t know why, and the next thing I knew, a mean-ass alpha named Bobo del Ray up was challenging Nedley for control of the town.” That anguished grimace was back, and this time Waverly ached with her. “Didn’t go well for Nedley.”   
  
Gus’s face had gone a pale, ghostly white. “Bobo del Ray?” She repeated, hoarsely. Waverly and Wynonna shared a look and then brought their eyes back to their aunt, who slumped back in the seat, looking stricken.    
  
“Yes ma’am.” Officer Haught was also looking at Gus, through the rear view. “You know him?”   
  
Gus shook her head violently, as if the idea made her sick. “Know of him.” She corrected. “Is he still in town? Because if so..” she cast a desperate look behind them. “Officer, you’d best pull over and let us out here, we can walk back to the truck and call for a mechanic, make it back to Santa Carla.”   
  
“Santa Carla’s fifty miles from here.” The redhead pointed out incredulously, but Waverly had a twist in her gut as she stared at her aunt. She’d never seen Gus afraid before. Angry, sure, and upset, plenty, usually at Wynonna’s expense…but never  _ afraid _ . That was scary itself.    
  
Gus shook her head, and opened her mouth tremulously but the new alpha cut her off, calmly.   
  
“And Bobo del Ray is dead and gone, ma’am. No need to worry over him. Just his lackeys still running amuck everywhere. That’s why I’d stay away from Shorty’s. Especially…uhm…” She coughed and shot another look at Waverly.    
  
This time Waverly got it.  _ Oh _ , she thought, blinking dumbly.  _ She means me. I’m an omega.  _ __  
  
“I can take care of myself.” She fired back at the alpha, anger creeping around the edges of her brain. “Just because I’m an omega—“   
  
“Whoa, now, that’s not what I meant-“   
  
“—I don’t allow that kind of patriarchal prejudices and societal bullshit. All us Earps are crack shots, anyway, and—“   
  
A warm hand landed on her knee, and Waverly was struck dumb again, blinking down at those calloused, long fingers.  _ Bet they’d feel good in me.  _ She thought, dazed, and then shook herself.  _ Oh damn it, stay on track, don’t frigging prove her point! _ She opened her mouth, but Officer Haught was giving her an apologetic smile and her eyes locked Waverly’s in.    
  
“That’s not what I meant. And I bet you are.” She explained, soothingly, and before Waverly knew it she’d inhaled a deep breath of alpha pheromone and was releasing her own omega perfume back; an instinctive move that wasn’t entirely under her control. This alpha was just so damn  _ comfortable _ smelling, in addition to being ferociously attractive, and that was throwing Waverly’s omega for a loop. She blinked again, before she realized the redhead was continuing.   
  
“Omegas get underrated all the time, I know, and believe me, I’m not trying to be some stereotypical bigoted hick cop, but…” she hesitated. “That bar is chock full of alphas who don’t particularly care if they’re a stereotype, let’s put it that way. They’d be more than happy to have a little fight, too.” She cast a desperate look back at Waverly and an apologetic eye to the back where Wynonna had hackled, a bit, in response. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I’d rather you know.”   
  
Wynonna’s pupils relaxed, and she unclenched her fists, nodding stiffly at the other alpha. If anything, she looked relieved that Officer Haught had been so respectful. “I appreciate knowing. That’s my baby sister.”   
  
Waverly wanted to roll her eyes at Wynonna’s protectiveness, once more, but she also appreciated knowing. Forewarned was forearmed, in an omega’s case. Too many alphas saw an omega as a prize to be won after a battle, a fuckdoll or a useful baby machine, not a person in his or her own right. It was good to know the Sheriff in this town was different.    
  
Although the idea of being used as a fuckdoll or baby machine by Officer Haught was definitely not unappealing….   
  
Waverly shuddered and crossed her legs, trying fervently to stem the tide, and once again, she wondered what the hell was wrong with her. The intensity of lust for this stranger she’d just met was nothing like what she had ever felt before, and, thanks to physiology, if she didn’t cool it, her new crush would know of her interest, along with everyone else in the car. However, luckily for her, the alpha in the driver’s seat had her brow wrinkled and seemed to be thinking of something else, and she hadn’t caught wind of Waverly’s scent yet.    
  
“Wait…did you say Earps? Are you all Earps?”   
  
Gus jerked her chin at Wynonna and Waverly. “These two is. I just married in. But my husband’s dead and gone and so is his brother, so I took them on as my own.”   
  
The redhead tipped her hat respectfully, and slowed at a crossroads, turning to the back. “That’s mighty fine of you, ma’am. I guess that means we ought to be taking you up the road to the old Earp Homestead, then?”   
  
Gus looked surprised and gratified. “You know it? Yes, thank you, that’d be just where we were going.”   
  
“The Homestead?” Wynonna asked. “But hasn’t that place been abandoned for years?”   
  
Gus turned to address her. “I had a man from the power company come by and get the lights on, and the gas will come next week. It’ll be dusty, but ain’t much more than what we’re used to.”   
  
“It won’t be that dusty.” The sheriff shifted in her seat, as if embarrassed. “I heard from the power guy there was new folks coming, so I shifted out some squatters and gave the place a once over.” She shrugged her shoulders quickly. “Like I said, Purgatory doesn’t often get new folks coming to live, so it seemed only right to not have you come back to a stinky old alpha den.”   
  
For the second time, Gus gave the alpha an appraising, appreciative look. Kindness such as this was unusual for the Earp family, given Wynonna’s usually less-than-stellar reputation with the locals in whatever burg they ended up in. Waverly fervently hoped their goodwill here wouldn’t die out as quickly as it had in the last few towns they’d left. She liked this sensible, good-natured alpha wolf (a little  _ too _ much, frankly) and she could tell her aunt was warming to her as well.    
  
Officer Haught either didn’t see the family approval or didn’t acknowledge it as she went on: “Anyway, the old Earp Homestead’s just up this way.” She made a turn and the Vic bumped along a rutted out cow track, prairie grass brushing the panels. The clean scent of crushed grass followed them all the way up to the homestead.    
  
When they arrived, Waverly got out and at once felt more alive. The air here smelled like home, smelled familiar and safe, and the sky was darkening to a brilliant orange-red behind the ramshackle house, which made the prairie grass glow like it was on fire, and the sight of it made Waverly’s skin prickle with delight. The graying, shambled pole barn looked like something out of an old Western, and the house, with its swiss-cheese porch and leaning roof, didn’t look much better, but it filled Waverly with a fierce sort of love, as soon as she looked at it. Just like the strange alpha and her beguiling scent, this strange place also felt comfortable,  _ right _ , to the young omega.    
  
The sheriff popped the trunk, and she and Gus began pulling out the few boxes of their meager possessions they’d saved from the truck. Waverly was too caught up to help, however. She tossed Wynonna a happy smile and spun Gus around, running ahead to grab a bunch of blue wildflowers sprouting from near the steps of the porch.   
  
The redhead watched her, she could feel the strange alpha’s eyes on her, wanting to  __ chase , but she stayed back, respectfully tipping her hat once more to Gus and Wynonna, who were standing in the yard, looking around with tentative smiles, as if they, too, were caught up in the feeling of the place.    
  
“I hope y’all settle in nicely,” Officer Haught’s smile was wide and easy, but the furtive glance she gave to Waverly’s backside, bending to pick the flowers, was anything but lazy. She straightened her shoulders and coughed, quickly. “And I left the sheriff’s office number on the fridge, if you need anything that isn’t an emergency. There’s few sandwiches too, courtesy of my deputy, Jeremy. He isn’t much of a chef but...”    
  
“I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve—“ Gus began, but Waverly interrupted her, running back into the group, caught up in a spontaneous fever. She thrust the bunch of bluebells into the sheriff’s hands and threw her arms around the tall redhead’s neck, pressing her body in the thin cotton of her dress all against that lean, hardened length of alpha.    
  
“Thank you!” Waverly enthused, her native bubbliness only exacerbated by the strange alpha’s scent and her simple kindness. She let go and stepped back, intending to offer more of her thanks, but their eyes met and a fire blazed low in her belly for a split second before the Sheriff coughed and withdrew, clutching the flowers as if she wanted to grab Waverly back. And for a moment, Waverly absolutely wanted her to.    
  
“It was no trouble, really. You’re new wolves: my Ma always raised me to be kindly to new kin. And it’ll be good for someone to be back in this old place.” She lifted her nose to the wind and gave an appraising sniff. “Feels almost like it used to be.”   
  
With that, the strange alpha turned on her boot heel, nodding with a farewell smile. Waverly watched her go, watched the way her hands fingered the bluebells and placed them reverently on the dash of the Vic, before tipping her hat to them all a final time and putting her arm over the seat to look back and reverse out of the drive. Waverly looked back at her family, who were each shooting each other knowing smiles, and harrumphed at them.    
  
“What? She was nice to us!”    
  
“Yeah and you were real nice to her,” Wynonna grinned back, but Gus smacked her arm.    
  
“Come on, let’s get unpacked.”    
  


***


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the full moon rises over Purgatory, Wynonna and Gus are stymied by a problem, and Waverly is struck by a strange mood...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Sorry to keep you waiting on this update, but a loving shoutout to everyone who supported me and was able to see this chapter earlier as a result: you guys make writing motivating and special, so thanks. <3
> 
> This is a slow burn story, but I would expect to see some smut pop up in the next couple chapters, so stay tuned, my thirsty friends...

The scent of juniper and sage was thick under the moon, and Waverly couldn’t sleep. 

She’d tossed her covers off three times already, only to draw them back on after a moment of fidgeting. Her skin pricked and ached, and she felt flashes of hot, then cold, as if she had a fever. A cold splash of water and a gulp of ibuprofen hadn’t helped, but Waverly sensed this was not some illness. Her bones seemed to want to leap out of her skin, and her jaws snapped, seeking something that she didn’t quite know. Everything in her felt frustrated and uncomfortable.

After another round of sweaty tangling in her sheets, the young omega had had enough. Her body was telling her shifting may help, and that was as good as an idea as any. Once again, she flung off the wrinkled coverlet, and shimmied out of her nightgown, tossing the faded rose print over her shoulder with some relief. Even the threadbare fabric felt too constricting on her skin. 

Shivering, she felt the change come without warning, sending her to her knees before she was ready, and she gasped to feel hairs thickening on her arms, faster than before. The blessed relief of her wolf skin was cool and comforting, and she shook her head, feeling the buzz leave her skull as her jaw lengthened. Her wolf form was small, ruddy and brown, with a light cream underbelly and, luckily, a delicate set of paws. It was easy enough for her to nudge the window latch open, and, easier still to shimmy through. 

She dropped to the roof, and padded her way across the moss-covered shingles, panting eagerly, tongue lolling between her teeth. The night was exciting, thick with scent. She wanted out in it. Out in the prairie, where the cool dry grass would lovingly brush against her sides. 

The drop to the ground was far, but she bunched and sprang, landing with only a mild huff. Her bones ached, briefly, and, in the vague, human part of her brain, she knew she would pay for the jump tomorrow, but for now, the night was calling. Reed frogs pipped on the horsetails, down by the creek, and the dry rustle in the bushes nearby told her the rattlesnakes were out, taking care of the rat problem in the barn. She had no fear of them now, in her wolf form. 

Her ears pricked, and her nose lifted. There was a beguiling, almost familiar scent on the wind, and her instincts called for her to follow it. A siren song, identifiable amidst all the wonderful smells the night had to offer. She could hardly resist it. 

Waverly’s wolf shape trotted into the darkness of the grass sea, and disappeared from the yellow light of the farmhouse. 

***

Inside, under a swaying bare bulb in the kitchen, Wynonna and Gus sat opposite one another at the table, grimly surveying the mass of yellowed, ancient papers strewn across the scratched oak surface. The older woman had her head in her hands, while her niece was staring into the bottom of a mason jar glass of whiskey. The mood was definitely low: a change from the earlier happiness to be home in their old territory. The papers hadn’t contained good news. 

“Well,” Wynonna broke the silence. “At least Daddy’s drinking debts can’t get any bigger.” She took a pull of her drink and made a grimace. 

“I can’t believe Ward bet the house to that scum.” Gus’s voice was low, issuing from under her palms. “Goddamn him. Goddamn Earp men.”

Wynonna shook her head. “The house is bad enough. It’s the….other thing that sickens me.” She growled, eyes going raptor red. “Daddy’s lucky he’s in his grave, and I’m lucky I was the one who put him there.” 

Gus sighed. “Your father always did hold one bastard of a grudge against Michelle. He knew Waverly wasn’t his. Always held it over her head….like he was a damn saint.” She snorted. “Hell no. Not will all his drinkin and whorin...and gambin’, too, apparently.”

“Yeah, but to put her up like collateral…”

The older woman’s eyes were a myriad of dark, unreadable things, but sadness was obvious. “It’s tradition in these parts, rough and nasty as it is. The omega is the weak link of the pack to old fundamentalists like Ward. Expendable. An omega daughter, and one not his own...he must have seen her as an easy bargaining chip to lose.” 

Wynonna was already shaking her head. “Not her. Not Waverly.” Her voice grew urgent. “Gus, we can’t let that happen.”

“Don’t you think I know that, girl?” The older alpha’s voice was sharp, and a bit of a snarl entered her rebuke before she checked herself, softening. “I guess we can hope his sorry ass never comes back to town.”

“Who?”

Gus cuffed her, lightly. “Bob del Ray, y’idiyit. Whose damn name is at the bottom of all these forms? Right next to your daddy’s?”

“But the Sheriff, the alpha we met yesterday. The redhead.” Wynonna looked wounded. “She said he was dead. Dead and gone.”

“And since when do you trust strange wolves?” Gus leveled her with a steely glance. “Or have you forgotten everything I taught you?”

The younger alpha dropped her head, slouching submissively. “No’m. Just...I got a good feeling off that wolf is all.” 

Gus nodded stiffly. “I did too. Still doesn’t mean that something don’t add up right in that story. Bobo del Ray wouldn’t go to toe to toe with no humdrum hometown sheriff and lose. Put it this way, Wynonna: I’ll believe that bastard’s dead when I see his ass dead.”

“And if he comes back?” Wynonna’s fingers were poised on the glass, and the hairs on her knuckles lifted. “Comes sniffing around for his prize?”

Gus’s eyes flashed amber for a brief second and she smiled; a low, feral grin. “Well.” She drawled. “Wouldn’t be the first time you and I have had to handle some pack business, would it?”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Wynonna grinned back. 

“All we have to do until then is keep our baby girl from going into heat and attracting every alpha for miles around.” Gus cautioned. “So, first light tomorrow I want you to thumb a ride into town and gather up some suppressants. Take the credit card. We can barely afford it, but we certainly can’t afford a heat.”

Wynonna nodded back, in grim agreement, and opened her mouth to reply, when a dull thump from the roof above their heads had both alphas pricking their ears. “What the hell was—“

Another thump, and a scrabbling noise, before Gus shot up in her chair. “It’s Waverly,” she said, urgently. “ _ Goddamn _ it, what did I just say?”

“I’ll get after her,” Wynonna assured her aunt, and shucked out of her jacket, unbuckling her belt even as black, coarse fur sprouted from her arms and raced to her neck. She dropped to all fours, shaking off the rest of her clothes. “Don’t worry, Gus, I’ll get her.” 

The screen door swung open, and a black wolf lunged out onto the back deck, claws scrabbling against the wood, raking up old paint chips. The woman followed, wincing against the mild cold. Even though it was only the prairie chill, her old bones didn’t like the drop in temperatures out on the range at night. But Wynonna was already sniffing around the edge of the grass, and, once she had found the scent, she took off, tongue lolling out of the corner of her mouth as her teeth flashed. 

“Keep her in Earp territory!” Gus called after the loping wolf form of her older niece. “And be careful!  _ Wynonna! D’you hear? _ ”

There was only the rustle of the prairie grass in response. Gus wrung her hands, staring out into the night, and looked for a long moment, listing against the side of the doorframe, before she turned back inside. In the distance, she could see the faint flicker of fireflies. She reached for Wynonna’s whiskey and downed the glass in one fierce swig. 

“Damn it, Ward.” She whispered through her teeth, to the ceiling. “You really have gone and fucked things up for us. As usual.”

 

***

_ This is definitely being creepy.  _ Nicole told herself, for the third time that night, as her paws padded silently around the edge of the Earp border.  _ You are absolutely, one hundred percent being creepy and you should turn back and go home right now, no matter what you smell.  _

But no matter how her inner voice chided, her steps brought her doggedly back to patrolling the ridge of the Earp family territory. Wolf nature and native proprietary instinct kept her from crossing over, breaking the sacred boundaries that all wolves should respect, but she quivered all the same, ears twitching for any sound, as she helplessly scented the ground and the air for the persuasive, seductive aroma. Somewhere in that territory, outside of her reach, was Waverly Earp, an unmated omega, very close to her heat cycle. Close enough to start broadcasting her wonderful smell all up and down the range. Every fiber in her alpha inner self vibrated with the urge to stake her claim all up and down this border, to ward off any challengers, so that when the time came…

She shook herself, and her tail twitched, agonizing once again as she paused, one curled paw in midair. Waverly Earp was a stranger to her. A complete newcomer to the town of Purgatory, even if her family had old roots here. And as Sheriff, it was hardly her duty to defend one territory instead of patrolling the whole of the town. She couldn’t, no, she  _ wouldn’t  _ mate this omega, and that was all there was to it. She would turn around.

Still, she wavered. 

A joyous, lilting howl rode the fresh night breeze to her ears, and the fur prickled.  _ Waverly _ . She could hear the laugh in the young omega’s voice. The enticement to leap across the sagebrush and chase after her was  _ strong _ . So strong, indeed, that Nicole actually put her paw down. Over the boundary line. 

But just as she was contemplating the seriousness of that single step, a coarse, unpleasant form streaked past her eyes, thundering over the Earp territory line without a second thought. Another alpha. This one was clearly of the Revenant Pack, by the smell of him. Nicole’s lip curled, and she snarled, every hair on her hackle raising at the challenge. He’d run right by her, uncaring or unseeing, and he was headed straight for Waverly’s howl. 

_ No.  _ That was not acceptable. The Revenants were supposed to stay on their side of town. That was the law. That was the rule after…..after  _ Nedley _ . Every ounce of Sheriff in the young wolf burned with rage. She couldn’t have this, Waverly or no Waverly, but, truth be told, the omega’s presence did make her decision easier. 

A deep thrumming rose from her belly and she threw back her head as her voice gave rise to the howl; a mighty, full-throated challenge. Flattening her ears, she galloped off after the interloper, her stride growing longer with each spring of her haunches. These Revenants were always spoiling for someone to teach them a lesson, and, lately, she’d found herself just the wolf for the job.

Her wolf form was big; raw-boned and rangy. It marked her as decidedly different from the slim, yellow-eyed wolves that were native to this prairie, and for a while it had bothered her, to be so different in so many ways. A female alpha. An outsider. But, in time, she’d come to see the advantages of size and jaw strength over these scrawny pups calling themselves alphas down at the local watering hole. So what if she was an outsider. Better to be a solo wolf than in the pack with  _ those _ idiots. And besides, big paws meant bigger strides. 

Among other things. 

She caught the other alpha running flat out across the prairie, making for the ridge that separated the steep rise from the valley of Earp land. He had heard her howl, but he was trying to make it to the omega before she could catch him. Ears pinned, he streaked across the sagebrush, panting hard. He chanced a look back, caught Nicole’s red eye, and lengthened his stride. 

But the Sheriff’s speed steadily increased, grim and unstoppable as the wind. The other alpha veered right, then left, trying to shake her, but she would not be shook. She harried him, driving him like a sheepdog does to its flock, and he snapped at her, frustration and exhaustion warring with his instinct to keep striving for Waverly’s call. His teeth barely grazed her flanks, and she easily dodged away, skipping almost lightly, before slashing in with her fangs, raking his shoulder in a hot, red line. 

The other alpha let out a yelp of startled pain and stumbled, falling over his front legs as he misjudged a gopher hole. Nicole was on him then, fur flying and teeth flashing white. The scuffle was brief, but bloody: Nicole wanted to teach this interloper a lesson about straying so far from the designated Revenant territory. She shook him by the scruff, tearing chunks of ratty, rank-smelling fur, and snarled in his face, showing how strong and large her fangs were, before standing over him with her tail upright and her lip lifted, licking at her teeth to show she could keep the challenge going as long as it took. 

It didn’t take long. The other alpha cringed under her and whined, showing a belly stained yellow with urine, his tail tucked over his genitals. She shook him one more time, for emphasis, but his fur tasted awful on her tongue and she huffed in disgust, deciding to be done. When she walked off, stiff-legged, he quickly rolled to his feet with a whimper and ran off, back toward the direction of the boundary line, without ever removing his tucked tail. He looked like a scared rabbit, running like that, and Nicole lifted her nose in approval, snarling lightly to herself in the wolf form of laughter. 

There was a snort and a whine of approval, from upwind. Nicole whirled, hackles raised once more, and displayed her teeth, ready to fight another challenger, when her eyes caught the sight of a young, light brown wolf standing on the ridge line, and scent finally filtered down to her nostrils.  _ Waverly.  _ The Earp omega’s wolf form was as lovely as her human one, and her scent was doubly so, thanks to all the sensitive ranges of Nicole’s wolf nose. 

The Sheriff alpha stood stock still in the valley, uncertain. She had crossed into Earp territory, and by all rights, the young omega could call her pack down to annihilate her for the offense, heat or no heat. No matter how kind she’d been to the newcomers earlier, this was sacred wolf law.  _ Everyone _ knew not to enter a territory of another unless invited to do so, and no one would believe her that she hadn’t entered with the intent to claim the omega. She swallowed, and her ears went to the sides, as confusion warred with her desire to race up the slope and greet Waverly with amorous intentions. 

Waverly clearly did not share her reserve, however, and the young wolf was leaping down to the valley floor in a trice, tail held upright in a friendly, relaxed arc. She circled the stiff, larger alpha, playfully, and snapped at her heels. When Nicole turned, she leapt away, and paused in a bow position, enticing the alpha to chase. 

Nicole didn’t quite know what to do. Well, of course, she knew what to  _ do _ ...but this was a young omega, possibly in her first heat, and….and Waverly was practically a stranger to her. As much as she’d felt a connection between them, and hoped the Earp girl felt it too, this was rushing into things a bit  _ too _ much for Nicole’s strongly ingrained sense of nobility. Self-restraint was something she had thought she had mastered before this enticement entered her life, but it seemed to be slipping away from her now. She’d chased her instincts into a stranger’s territory, a stranger she very much wanted to respect, and perhaps someday build a relationship with, no less, and now she was struck by a wave of guilt and shame.

The omega wasn’t interested in her recriminatory stiffness, however. She bounced closer again, and nipped firmly at Nicole’s tail, tugging it. The red alpha turned, helplessly, but the omega danced away again and grabbed at her ruff. Her teeth were achingly sweet in their grasp. Nicole wanted to mouth at her and bite her back, but she held herself firm. Desperation showed in the whites of her eyes. 

Waverly let her go and nosed along her jawline, whining softly. Her soft, brown eyes clearly entreated Nicole.  _ Play with me. Why won’t you play with me?  _ The alpha couldn’t resist such a sweet enticement. She dropped her nose, and touched Waverly with it, finally acknowledging the omega with a friendly gesture, as her tail wagged slowly in a stiff arc above her head. 

The omega reacted with a shudder of clear and obvious delight. Whatever normal human behavior Waverly had to be coquettish or shy to a newcomer were gone with the instincts of the moon and her cycle.  _ This close to a heat, she would have probably flounced over anyone, _ Nicole told herself, but she still preened with internal pride as the omega leaned against her legs, whimpering. She dared to allow herself to arch her neck over Waverly’s, exposing the scent point under her jaw and expressing dominance in one primal gesture, and felt a thrill as the omega responded, licking and nipping at her throat. She lifted her lips over her teeth, not as a threat but as a display of her prowess, and the omega whined with appropriate enthusiasm. 

Nicole chanced a brief look up at the moon, and found it was still full, but dipping lower in the sky. There were only a few hours left until dawn. She just had to keep Waverly safe from invading alphas for a few more hours, and then the omega would shift back, and have much more control of her impulses. It would be awkward and embarrassing, yes, waking naked with a stranger on the prairie, but once they got over some initial cringing, perhaps she could actually  _ talk _ to Waverly, one on one, without her family around, and get an idea of what the omega actually  _ wanted _ for her heat, not just what her instincts told her. That would be better. No matter that  _ her  _ instincts were pounding in her head to lead the omega to a secluded moonlit grove and shift back so she could make love to her human form in every conceivable manner possible before daybreak.  _ No _ .  _ Be strong.  _

She lay down, ignoring an outbreak of whining, resting her head on her paws as she surveyed the surroundings. Waverly bit frustratedly at her ears for several minutes, but finally, she gave in, and laid down beside the alpha, clearly unwilling to leave until this reticent wolf gave in and mated her, no matter how long it took. Nicole couldn’t help but thump her tail slowly on the dirt, and her chest swelled with pride. 

She didn’t give rise to her feelings, but merely tucked her snout closer to the omega’s body, and closed her eyes. Her ears remained alert, however, swiveling for the slightest sound. Waverly let out a sigh of exasperation, but she also closed her eyes, and within minutes, the younger wolf slept peacefully against Nicole’s side, her breath ruffling the red fur. 

Nose to tail, the two wolves curled up against the prairie winds, and the moon laid a silver blanket over the sleeping forms. 

 

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out on the prairie, Waverly and Nicole are swept up in getting smitten, but Wynonna’s journey into town yields some interesting results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know it’s been a bit, but I’m finally back on the prairie. Delighted to be here! 
> 
> This chapter has the first hints of the second pairing in this story. Please drop me a comment if you’d like to see more of them, or prefer they stay in the background. ;) Either way, the story is a Wayhaught focus.

The morning was cold, and Waverly burrowed closer to the warmth at her side. Juniper berries and sage brush lifted into her nose, greeting the early morning with notes of fresh dew on the long grass, cobwebs, and dirt. It was her favorite blend. 

Everything smelled like home. Especially the soft fur below her nose, which tickled her face with warmth. She let out a sleepy whine and nudged closer, and the scents sharpened into reality. 

_ Wait. Huh? _

Waverly blinked awake to a grey dawn, and with it, the realization that she was naked. One half of bare skin was covered in a fine layer of dew, and an ambitious little spider had been constructing a web on her left knee, only to abandon it for more stable ground as she woke. There was dirt below her other half, cold and unforgiving, but her back was deliciously warm, as if she was wearing a fur coat. 

_ Fur. Wolf. It’s a wolf. Oh Glory, I shifted last night. But that doesn’t smell like Wynonna... _

Waverly turned, head spinning, and saw the wolf that curled around her side. No, indeed it wasn’t her sister or any member of her pack, that was for certain. Her pack were all small, scrappy wolves, born and bred for the prairie grass. This wolf was  _ big _ . Big enough to curl around her human shape with no trouble at all. 

Red ruffed fur. A lean, scarred face. Rugged paws, built for endurance, not speed. And, absurdly enough—precious, tiny ears. Waverly almost wanted to laugh at the juxtaposition, and then the memories of the night before came back in a rush. 

_ Sheriff Haught. This is the Sheriff. Son of a  _ bitch _ , I’m naked and that’s the hot Sheriff.  _

She buried her face in her hands and let out a tiny moan of horror.  _ I tried to get her to mount me. So many times. She’s gonna think I’m such a slut.  _

As if on cue, the big wolf let out a yawn, and a stretch. The fur shuddered, and smoothed, and then there was a lean, long form of a naked woman in its place. And oh,  _ what _ a woman. Waverly couldn’t help but stare—although Gus had always taught her better—and she felt a guilty little thrill taking in the sight of such a well-muscled back, leading down into the high, firm swell of her ass. The alpha was resplendent in the sunlight, which bounced into her dark red hair and perfectly framed the shifting muscles in her shoulders as she rose, seemingly unfazed by her nudity. 

“Hi.” 

Waverly blushed harder than she thought was humanly possible and looked away, quickly, just as she caught sight of a pair of dusky nipples. “Um. Hi. Good morning. Uhm. Sheriff.”

“Nicole,” the older woman told her, stretching lazily. “You may as well call me by my first name, seeing as you’ve now seen me naked.”

Waverly blushed even harder, and wished fervently that she could disappear into a nearby gopher hole. “ _ Uhm _ . Yes. About that.”

“Don’t worry.” The redhead’s voice dropped from teasing to gentle concern. “We didn’t do anything, Waverly. It’s okay. You were on your first heat, it’s nothing to be ashamed over. I would never have crossed your territory line, except—“

“—That other wolf.” Waverly nodded. “He smelled….awful. Thank you.” 

She shuddered, lightly, and tried to look away again, unable to keep from staring, and just barely caught the end of the lingering look that the alpha was giving her over one shoulder. “You kept me safe. You didn’t have to do that.”

She could hear Nicole shifting awkwardly from side to side. “No. But.”

“But you did.”

“Yes.”

A tiny thrill ran through Waverly’s inner omega and she shuddered.  _ That doesn’t mean anything,  _ she tried to quiet herself.  _ She didn’t try to mate you last night, after all, and Wynonna says alphas who don’t mate on the first date are pussies. _

_ Then again, Wynonna maybe doesn’t know all alphas.  _ Waverly considered, daring another look at Nicole. Their eyes met, green to brown, and the searing point was sharp and long. This time, Waverly didn’t want to look away. 

Nicole took a step closer, and her fingers laced daringly over Waverly’s arm. Her eyes raked up and down, taking in everything the omega had to offer, and for once, Waverly felt a shudder of arousal rather than embarrassment. 

Nicole’s eyes made her feel…. _ hot.  _ Ready. 

_ I’m still on heat.  _ She reminded herself, fighting the urge to drop to her knees.  _ She’s affecting me more than she should, but  _ oh _ , I think I like it.  _

She knew the scent of her arousal had to be permeating the air, winding to the alpha’s nose, and, just as if she’d predicted it, she watched as the alpha’s nostrils widened, taking in her scent. The redhead looked glazed for a moment, and her pupils darkened. Hungrily, she drew Waverly closer, and her lips parted in readiness, unable to resist as Nicole leaned down—

A furious snarl was the only warning they got, and then a black wolf was barreling into the interloping alpha, teeth bared and every hair on her ruff standing at attention. Nicole fell backwards, holding an arm up to fend the wolf off from her chest, all while teeth snapped inches from her face and a nonstop stream of growls thundered into the air. It took Waverly a moment to realize what was happening, and then she shook herself into action. 

“ _ Wynonna!”  _ She hollered, grabbing at the black wolf’s tail and pulling with all her might. “Get off of her, it’s not what you think!”

“Wynonna?” Nicole paused in the middle of holding the black wolf’s jaws at bay with her arm across Wynonna’s chest. “This is your sister? From before?”

“Yes, and she’s a goddamn idiot.  _ Wynonna! _ Get off, already!” 

Waverly pulled harder, and a clump of fur came loose in her hands. The wolf yelped in pain, and rounded on her, eyes flashing.

“Oh hush,” She told her sister. “It’ll grow back.”

Wynonna shifted before her eyes, and Waverly had to roll them at both her sister’s nudity and her indignant face. 

“But it won’t be as bushy as before, Waves! Damn it!”

“Serves you right.” Waverly crossed her arms over her breasts. “We were just  _ talking _ , Wynonna. She kept me safe last night.”

“Oh I  _ bet _ she did.” Wynonna grumbled, rubbing her behind. Her eyes landed on the red-headed alpha, and she squared her shoulders. 

“You trying to make a move on _my_ baby sister, in _my_ territory, Sheriff?”

Nicole squared right back. Her lip lifted a little, and a shudder ran through Waverly’s inner thighs. The red wolf was much taller than Wynonna, and her stance screamed dominance. For the first time in her life, Waverly wondered if her sister might lose a fight. 

But Nicole didn’t want to battle. She raised her palms. “I know pack laws. I’m sorry for trespassing. It...wasn’t wise.”

“There was another wolf, Wynonna.” Waverly rolled her eyes. “Don’t be an alpha pea-brain.” 

“Another wolf?” That got Wynonna’s attention. Her posture shifted. “Where? What wolf?”

“An alpha from the Revenant pack.” Nicole interjected, calmly. “They’re a mangy bunch of mutts who used to follow Bobo del Ray. There’s a lot of them around. I saw him cross your boundary line and….”

Wynonna narrowed her eyes back at the Sheriff, who shifted from the balls of her feet, looking slightly guilty. “And my baby sister’s first heat had nothing to do with it, I take it?”

“Wynonna.” The omega interjected sharply. She put her hands on her hips. “She kept me safe. You’re being rude for no damn reason.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes, but Nicole was looking at her, with an alpha’s keen eye. Waverly was aware of her nakedness again, but more focused this time. Desire rushed into her belly and curled tightly around it like a fist. She fought the urge to cross her arms again, leaving herself exposed for the alpha’s view, and tried to ignore the flush that was creeping up her chest and thighs. 

Nicole didn’t seem to mind at all. She took a long, appreciative look, before it seemed to occur to her that she ought to hide her interest, given their present company. The alpha ended up quickly clearing her throat and looking away—just in time for Wynonna to cast a suspicious glance in her direction.

“I should go.” Nicole shuffled her feet. The awkwardness was endearing: it reminded Waverly of how large the alpha’s paws had been in her wolf form. 

Wynonna huffed righteously, but her sister rolled her eyes and ignored that. She took Nicole’s elbow and led her a few paces away, out of earshot. 

“Listen, thanks. I  _ know _ what you did for me. And I’m grateful.”

She bit her lip, trying to impart as much sincerity as she could through her eyes, but Nicole’s look was unreadable, dark. The alpha looked at Wynonna again, and then down at the young omega’s nude frame, and she drew a deep, long breath. 

“Waverly…” Nicole ran her thumb gently over the omega’s chin, and Waverly had to suppress a shudder of arousal thrill that sang through her veins. The alpha looked at her as if she knew exactly what effect she was having. Her gaze was hooded and low. 

“I may be Sheriff, but that doesn’t make my intentions always honorable. Do you  understand?”

Waverly shivered, suddenly keenly feeling the chill of the morning dew in places that tingled and twitched.

“You’re honorable.” She touched the alpha’s fingers. “You could have done all kinds of things last night, and I wouldn’t have blamed you for any of it, not in the state I was in. And you didn’t. You didn’t touch me.”

“That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to.” Nicole told her, and the raw honesty in her face had Waverly gulping down a whimper. “That doesn’t mean I won’t want to again...if you wanted me.”

“And if I do?” Waverly felt her breath constricting tight in her throat. Heat had made her bold. She stepped closer. “What if I want you?”

Nicole took one last glance over her shoulder at Wynonna, watching with a curled lip, and then she bent down to draw a quick breath beside Waverly’s pulse, inhaling her scent. The alpha’s eyes closed, as if in ecstacy, and Waverly’s knees threatened to buckle. 

“Call for me.” The Sheriff told her, low and sweet. “I’ll come to you.”

She raised Waverly’s knuckles to her fingers, and brushed them with her lips. The kiss was ridiculously chaste, given their nudity, but the omega felt her flush increase, nevertheless. Nicole jerked her chin at Wynonna, in the stiff-legged manner of alphas, and turned her back, loping down the trail back toward the Earp territory line, and, presumably, her truck. 

Waverly watched her retreating form until it was just a speck below the rise of the next foothill. Then she rounded on her elder sibling, eyes white with fury. 

“You  _ ass _ ,” she hissed. “I  _ like  _ her and you’ve been such a dickhead!”

“I  _ know _ you like her,” Wynonna told her, arms crossed. She was giving no quarter. “Half the damn county can probably  _ smell _ how much you like her by now.”

“ _ Wynonna _ !”

“Listen to me, tumbleweed. Your took off last night before Gus and I could tell you exactly how much of a fix you’re in.”

The omega blushed, fervently, but refused to give in. “Just because I’m in heat doesn’t mean I don’t know my own mind—“

“Waves.” Wynonna interrupted. “I’m serious. Gus and I found something last night that makes your heat a  _ problem _ . For you and everyone else. Just...come on home. I’ll tell you on the way.” 

Her arm opened, as if to tuck Waverly underneath, and, reluctant but unsure, the omega allowed herself to go. She looked up at Wynonna to judge her face, and found her sister favoring her with a sort of sad smile that had every hair on her small frame alarmed. “What is it?”

Wynonna hesitated, and that’s when Waverly truly knew how bad it was. “Just...come home. Gus will explain better.”

They went. 

 

                                                          ***

Wynonna felt much better after a shower and a cold cup of black coffee. She was whistling by the time she came down the stairs, stretching her aching muscles after a long night of searching the prairie, and just thinking about maybe sliding onto that threadbare couch for some shuteye, when she caught sight of her omega sibling sitting at the kitchen table. 

Waverly didn’t look anywhere near as happy, even freshly showered and clothed. She sat glumly stirring a bowl of cornflakes, while Gus busied herself behind her, in the meager kitchen. The air of awkward conversation hung thick, and the yellowed old deed lay on the table between them. Wynonna could guess what they’d been talking about. She swallowed her coffee in a hasty bolt, and set the tin mug down, coming to rub her sister’s shoulders. 

Waverly gave her with a half-smile, but it dropped from her lips just as soon as it came. “I didn’t know Daddy hated me that much.” 

“He didn’t hate you.” The response was automatic, but in reality Wynonna had no idea. She stared straight ahead and tried to recall a single fond memory of their father before she shot him, but Daddy was a drunkard and a layabout, and wasn’t much good to nobody. There were scant few. 

“Remember? He...uh...he got you that My Little Pony set you wanted so much for Christmas.”

“That was Willa’s.” Waverly turned her spoon over and watched the soggy flakes slide back into the bowl with a plop. 

Wynonna’s heart turned over for her.  _ Last fed, first bred — _ went the old saying about raising omegas. She and Gus had scrimped and saved and battered their way through the last several years so that that wouldn’t be Waverly’s life, but yet, here they were. 

Here they were. 

She took her sister’s hand. “How are you feeling?”

Gus was watching them intently from the cracked glass over the kitchen sink, while she dried the same bowl over and over, but Wynonna pretended she couldn’t see it. 

Waverly didn’t look up from her cornflakes. 

“Pretty shitty, huh?” Wynonna tried again. 

A grunt was her only response. Wynonna cleared her throat. She had never been good at pep talks, and this seemed like a bad time to start, but Gus wasn’t saying anything and she felt she had to. “Look, I know how you must be—“

“Really?” Waverly didn’t look up, but her voice had a high, sharp note that made her sister wince. “You know what it feels like to be used as a bargaining chip by the man that raised you, in order to pay his gambling debts? _You_ know what it’s like to have your heat used against you?”

Wynonna shrunk back, and swallowed hard. She couldn’t form words. Waverly’s lip quivered and she pushed the bowl away, resting her head on the chipped Formica. 

“‘Whoever mates the omega gets this homestead’. What kind of bullshit is that?” Her voice was hollow against the tabletop. “Bobo del Ray? Bullshit.” 

“I know.” Wynonna swallowed, slowly. She felt largely inadequate, and she hated that. Her fingers started itching. 

“Listen, I’m gonna go into town. Get you some suppressants. We can handle this heat, together as a pack, and then talk over what our plan is for the next one. Buy us some time. Okay?”

Gus was nodding, but Waverly didn’t move for a long time. Wynonna rubbed her back, feeling helpless. Finally the omega sighed and lifted her head. 

“Okay.” Her eyes were round and sad. “Thank you, Wynonna.”

“Anytime, babygirl.” She folded Waverly in her arms for a quick, fierce hug, and stood up. 

Gus handed her the last remaining ‘good’ credit card, grimly. “Be back before sundown. You hear?”

Wynonna saluted with the plastic. “Yes’m.”

She cast one last look at Waverly before she let the kitchen door bang shut on rusted hinges. Her sister looked mildly ill, and Gus leaned over her, comforting with a wet towel. Wynonna turned away, and started off down the drive at a light trot. 

Her muscles began to protest before long. It had been a long night, and her hocks were sore. She thumbed a ride into town with a farmer who let her hop into the comforting hay bale pile in the back of his truck, and took a little doze on her way into town. That was better. The scent of sweet hay and the rustling, clean wind refreshed her, so by the time she hopped out in Purgatory’s Main Street, slapping the side of the truck in thanks, she felt almost fully recharged and ready for anything. 

Which was, judging by the looks of things, good timing. 

Purgatory was, plainly put, uglier than she remembered. Graffiti, broken bottles, and blacked-out windows leered from every corner. The few stores that were open looked deserted and half-looted, and nearly all the cars had a busted taillight or a cracked windshield. A condom wrapper trailed desultory in the gutter, blown by the wind. 

Shorty’s Bar seemed to be the only place with any lively movement—a gaggle of rough-looking alphas burst from the saloon doors, laughing loudly. They stopped dead when they saw Wynonna, and she readied herself, squaring her jaw. Sure enough, whistles and lewd suggestions began to roll like thick tidal waves, and she hurried her pace, ducking around a corner before they could catch up. 

_ I don’t like this town.  _ She decided, sniffing the air to make sure she wasn’t being followed.  _ Bad air. Something’s fucked here.  _

The pharmacy was two blocks up from the bar, conveniently enough, just where Gus said it would be. Wynonna’s shoulders sank when she approached—it looked deserted too. One window was a sheet of plywood, and the other had a red tag spraypainted so haphazardly that it looked as it it was bleeding. The steps sagged, looking half-rotted, and the open sign flickered on and off, like it was slowly dying. 

An ominous looking place. Wynonna didn’t want to go in, but she had no choice. She drew her chin up, and tightened her spine.  _ If this piece of shit place doesn’t have heat suppressants, I’ll just have to tie Waverly in the basement and kill every sumbitch who comes near the house.  _ She vowed, sullenly, and went up the steps, dodging the moldering wood that threatened to give way under her weight.

The door’s bells jangled merrily, but inside, the store looked distinctly unwelcoming. Half of the displays had been knocked over, as if to form a barricade, and the other half, while still stocked, seemed to have acquired an alarming array of razor wire that glinted in the flickering fluorescent lights. 

“Hello?” Wynonna called. “I...uh...need to use the pharmacy?”

Silence was the only answer. A threatening, uncomfortable silence. 

_ This was a bad idea.  _ Wynonna turned to leave, but just as she did, the distinctive sound of a shotgun being racked made her freeze in her step.  _ Yep. Definitely a bad idea. God-fucking-damn it.  _

“Turn around and state your business, alpha.”

The voice that greeted her was a take-no-prisoners sort, and for once in her life, Wynonna didn’t feel inclined to disobey. She rotated slowly, hands held up in a pacifying manner, and lifted her eyes to meet her assailant. 

_ Oh shit.  _

Wynonna certainly hadn’t expected her to be an  _ attractive _ assailant, that was for sure. But the beta that glared fiercely over a double barreled shotgun at her from behind the barricaded counter was exactly that. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, and with a lovely set of curves that seemed to cry out for troublemaking hands. 

Wynonna swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked.  _ Oh shit _ . She thought again. Words were failing her. “Uh….hi.”

“ _ Hi _ .” The beta quipped back. “Now tell me what you want or I blow your tiny alpha prick off.”

Wynonna arched a brow, and her chest puffed. “It’s not tiny.”

“You’re really going to argue dick size with someone who has a shotgun pointed at your chest?” 

“Just saying. It’s not tiny.” 

The beta laughed, and shook her head incredulously. “That’s some balls on you alpha. Fantastic. Now get out.” 

Wynonna managed to recover and slammed her hands back up, pleading. “No, wait, okay. I really did come here for medicine. At least tell me where there’s a real pharmacy near here.” 

The beta regarded her coolly. “Isn’t one. Not for fifty miles. This  _ used _ to be a real pharmacy, but now it’s my home, and in these times a girl’s gotta defend what she’s got.”

“I hear that.” Wynonna echoed ruefully before she realized she was speaking out loud. The beta cocked an eyebrow at her, and she coughed, continuing. “Listen, are there any heat suppressants back there? I have money. I didn’t come to rob you.”

The beta snorted. She looked prettier the more aggressive she was being, Wynonna noticed.  _ My type of woman. No, damn it. Focus up, Earp.  _

“ _ You _ need heat suppressants?” The beta lowered the shotgun a tad, but it was still leveled at Wynonna’s chest. “No way. Try another one. I could smell you as an alpha before you stepped foot in the door.”

“It’s for my sister.” Wynonna was getting frustrated now. “It’s her first heat, and it’s a bad one. You shooting me isn’t exactly going to help the situation, so could you put that down?”

The beta looked at her contemplatively, but the gun went no lower. “I haven’t ever seen you in town before. What’s your name, alpha?”

“Wynonna Earp. Look, could you just—“

“Earp?” Now the beta was interested, leaning forward. “Did you say Earp?”

“Yeah.” The alpha rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you’ve heard of us.”

“Could say that.” The gun lowered, and the beta finally put it aside, slipping the safety on. She slung it to her back with a beat-up strap made primarily of duct tape, and regarded the alpha with arms akimbo. 

“I’m Rosita. Rosita Bustillos. I was a... _ friend _ of Doc Holiday. He spoke highly of your family.”

“Oh yeah?” Wynonna let her hands drop to her sides, and shook her wrists. “Where’s Doc now? This town could’ve used him.”

“He’s gone.” Rosita said, shortly, and Wynonna got the hint. “When did you get into town?”

“Two days ago.” The alpha stretched out her shoulder muscles. “My sister’s a first timer. It came on real quick; we didn’t have time to prepare, and we just moved so we didn’t have supplies laid by. “

Rosita was nodding slowly, watching Wynonna stretch. She beckoned. “Come, I can make you something that will work.” 

She disappeared into the pharmacy backcounter, and Wynonna took a dubious look at the barricade, before picking the best route up and over. It took some laborious climbing, but she managed. She followed Rosita around into what had once been the backstock area, and found a little apartment set up instead. 

String lights crisscrossed the ceiling, giving a warm yellow glow, and red, gauzy fabric draped the walls, with posters of old westerns. A record player sat on a leaning pile of records, and a milk carton held a well-thumbed stack of books. There was a busted-out armchair, wheezing stuffing from its wounded side, and a sagging mattress with a purple comforter, and—aborably— a stuffed penguin that looked as if it had been won at a carnival game.

Wynonna took it all in, rotating, as Rosita emerged again from behind a curtain to the rest of the backstock area, with a formidable looking mortar and pestle. She was grinding something green and herb-y smelling. 

“Sit down.” She motioned to the chair. “This takes a while to steep.”

“You’re making it?” Wynonna asked, watching the slow grind of the pestle, as she gingerly sat on the edge of the armchair, trying not to break it. “By yourself?”

Rosita snorted, and once again, Wynonna felt a stirring in her loins. “How do you think the pharmacy does it?”

“Well, not like  _ this _ .” Wynonna admitted. She looked around again. “I like your place.”

“Thank you.” The beta’s voice softened. “It’s all I’ve got left.”

Wynonna wanted to ask about that, but questions were locked in her throat. She shifted instead, and watched Rosita pour the green, herbaceous liquid into a small vial and slosh it back and forth. 

“It’ll need to steep for an hour or so, then I can add the hensbane.” The beta told her, with authoritative calm. 

“How do you know?” Wynonna asked. “Were you the pharmacist?”

Rosita snorted. “Hell no. Let’s just say...I’m good at chemistry. Always have been. Time was, this town had a real pharmacy, and a doctor, too. Now there’s just me.”

She set the vial down, and looked appraisingly at Wynonna. “Now. We have to discuss payment.”

“I’ve got a credit card—“ Wynonna started, but Rosita held up one commanding finger. 

“I don’t know if you noticed, alpha, but I’m not exactly running Square, here. No, I don’t mean  _ money _ payment.”

Wynonna had an inkling, and a slow smile started to creep at her lips. “Oh yeah? What  _ do _ you mean?”

Rosita took her by the belt loops and pulled her closer. 

“Well.” The beta breathed out, eyeing her up and down. “You’re not a bad looker, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen an alpha who wasn’t a scumbag and didn’t smell like something died in his pants.”

Wynonna grinned, feeling her inner wolf howl in excitement. “Lucky me for basic hygiene.” 

She raised her hand to the back of Rosita’s neck and pulled the into a crashing, biting kiss. When her tongue had sufficiently battled Rosita’s for dominance and she’d thoroughly tasted every inch of the beta’s mouth, she pulled away, and was pleased to note how Rosita gasped for breath. 

“Well,” Wynonna parroted, pushing the beta back until she fell onto the bed. “I can just figure how we can spend an hour, then.”

And indeed, she could.

                                                             ****

When the hour was up, Wynonna placed a lingering kiss on Rosita’s spine, and rolled over, drawing her jeans up.  _ That was good _ , she reflected happily as she slid the belt through her buckle.  _ Damn good, and it’s been too long. I wonder if she’ll be up for it again.  _

As if in reply, the dark-haired beta stretched and sighed on the mattress behind her, arching her back in a lovely display. Wynonna watched, appreciatively, as Rosita got up and padded over to the table, without a stitch of clothing on. She looked good: freshly-fucked and glowing. As she tilted a small dropper into the vial, she favored Wynonna with a grin.

“You do that well.”

“It’s among my only set of skills, so thanks.” Wynonna grinned back, and came up alongside to examine the vial, pulling her shirt over her head. “And thanks for this. My sister really does need it.”

“Should last for a few days, but I warn you: this stuff is strong. She’ll be out like a light for a while. Sometimes a first heat can override a normal dose, so I doubled down on it.”

“That was smart thinking,” Wynonna nodded. “Waverly’s an Earp, and Earps don’t do anything half-assed….except maybe law-abidin’.”

Rosita shot her a crooked smile. “I imagine so.” She dropped the vial into a paper bag and pressed it into the alpha’s chest. “Come see me if you need more. I’ll accept the same payment plan.”

“Oh you will, will you?” Wynonna felt her lips curl up in a smirk and dragged Rosita back for another kiss, lingering on her lower lip. “That’s fine by me. Provided I don’t get torn up on that barricade in the process.”

Rosita snorted and pulled away. “The barricade is necessary, trust me. A hoard of Revenant wolves would be hollering down my neck otherwise.”

“Revenants?” Wynonna took a moment to remember where she’d heard that word before. “Oh right, that’s the pack that runs this town. No wonder things are so shitty around here: the Sheriff said they were a bunch of mangy mutts.”

Rosita huffed. “The Sheriff said that? Well, she would know, wouldn’t she?”

“What do you mean by that?” 

Rosita looked at her as if she was stupid. “Well, she’s their alpha, isn’t she?”

Wynonna felt the air rush out of her lungs and she blinked, feeling as if she’d gone mildly deaf. “What?”

“The alpha. Sheriff Haught is the alpha of the Revenant pack. Don’t you know?” 

 

                                                                             ****   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [ Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bitterbones87) for access to earlier updates and my dirty mind <3


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